A Wish Unrequieted
by Super Sheba
Summary: Swords clashed as the forms of two men fought, the taste of blood fresh on their tongues. Never had I been exposed to such anger, such hatred. The cold lust for blood in Kenshin’s eyes shattered my soul, leaving my spirit broken, and my heart seeping


A Wish Unrequieted

Despair. Such a cruel feeling. It tears apart the soul as it leaves the body motionless. The victim weeps as it stares into the eyes of the emotion so easily breaking its spirit. Loss embraces the heart as it tries to break free, only to find it has fallen into the treacherous grasp of pain. Joy is fleeting; the peace once alive within the hopes and dreams of the pained is vanquished into dust. Each drifting thought brings grief to the mind. Despair remains unbroken. Nothing can relieve its excruciating grasp.

Had it really been so long ago that I had believed life would never again bring sorrow? I was naïve, so comforted that I had begun to dwell within a seemingly unending fantasy. My heart wanted to deny each thought nagging at my mind, yet it also accepted them without doubt. Each realization burned at my seemingly strong and exuberant appearance. Tears stained my cheeks, as I sat weakly staring at the ground. The air reeked with the stench of blood, and the dojo floor was stained with crimson. The battle had left its mark in the room, and it seemed to taunt me with each scarlet stain. It only reminded me of the pain and suffering that had dwelt within the room as two men became caught in the past, fighting for their lives. Forever imprinted within my mind's eye was the bloody battle that had claimed the innocence of a man…claimed the life of the man I loved so dearly…

_Kenshin stepped forward, prepared to fight with his life to protect us from the man standing before us. Saitoh Hajime's tall thin form stood poised, his narrow amber eyes gazing at Kenshin with hatred. His sword hung at his side, but was quickly unsheathed, its silvery blade shining in the dim light. Saitoh placed his fingers directly above his sword as he readied it for attack. Suddenly, he thrust his sword at Kenshin with precision, but Kenshin quickly dodged as his body flew into the air, only to realize Saitoh's sword now flew towards him from below._

_"A gatotsu from above!" Kenshin cried as his body made contact with the slicing blade._

_Blood began to flow freely from Kenshin's chest as he fell to the ground, placing his hand over the wound. His breathing became heavy as his lungs gasped for air, exhaustion beginning to take over. My eyes filled with tears as I watched him, doubling over in pain, attempting to keep it silent from the rest of the world. Fear filled me and the instinct to protect Kenshin pulled me from the ground and threw me before him. Eyes of amber gazed at me intently, a bit of a smirk on Saitoh's face. Courage seemed to overcome my instinctive fear as I thought of the blood stained blade piercing Kenshin's heart._

_"Get up and stand battousai." Saitoh spat, readying his sword again for attack._

_Kenshin softly set his hand on my shoulder and stood up, gripping his sword tightly. I put my hand out, but it fell when I looked into his eyes. Fear overcame reason as I stared into a deep amber, his amethyst orbs no longer gracing his face. Lost was the man I knew and loved. Himura Kenshin had died, leaving the shell of the battousai his place. I longed to see the gentle and loving look in his eyes again, but it had faded away, along with his humanity. A mane of auburn hair fell down his back untamed, like the beast he had become. I could no longer bear to watch him in the clutches of a monster, and shut my eyes as tears trickled down my cheeks in icy streams._

_Swords clashed as the forms of two men fought, the taste of blood fresh on their tongues. Never had I been exposed to such anger, such hatred. The cold lust for blood in Kenshin's eyes shattered my soul, leaving my spirit broken, and my heart seeping each tiny glint of hope. Love could not possibly carry me through this, for fate itself would be lost and tangled in the feelings of emptiness sewn into every fiber of my being. I could never live on, for peace had fled and joy had disappeared. Sorrow embraced each thought flooding my mind as I stared at the man I loved so dearly fading into dust. Nothing could ever describe in words the pain I felt; my heart could no longer endure it. My eyes closed tightly as consciousness slipped away and darkness consumed. _

The nightmare. Just as quickly as consciousness had slipped away, it broke my tiny glimpse of everlasting peace. The form of a man lay motionless on the floor, a sword piercing his chest, crimson liquid seeping from the wound. Before my eyes lay a dying man. The battle had ended, with a single man the victor, the other man doomed to die. My eyes widened as they focused on the form before me, his auburn hair soaked with blood. A longing to scream surged through me, yet I was silent. The truth, how cold and ruthless it could be. I shook as I attempted to withhold tears yearning to fall. It could not possibly be real; fate could never be so heartless! The man's shining amethyst orbs looked up at me, staring deeply into my soul. Peace filled each and every emotion within those sweet and gentle eyes. I could not understand his welcoming of departure. How could anyone accept death so willingly, leaving life's beauty behind and forgotten? It seemed as though hope had vanished from the aspiring mind that had so longingly dreamt for atonement. Had guilt truly stolen the soul I so longed to embrace? Grief seized my aching heart as I watched his chest rise painfully with each breath. Fate had abandoned me, smearing my deeply rooted emotions into dust. A hand grasped mine squeezing it gently as a finger grazed my cheek and wiped my pained tears. 

_"I'll be alright right Kaoru-dono, that I will." said Kenshin's raspy voice, its gentle and loving resonance still embracing each word._

_"Kenshin, I cannot understand!" I cried, "How can you allow yourself to die this way?"_

_"I am no innocent man; I have taken the lives of many." Kenshin replied, his voice dripping with the guilt deep within his heart. "I am only getting what I deserve. I can finally atone for all the sins I have committed. I will be forgiven."_

_"Kenshin, you have already been forgiven, please, you must live." I cried as I lay my head on his chest, my bitter tears leaving droplets of sorrow upon Kenshin's blood stained gi. "I need you!"_

_"Kaoru-dono, you're so beautiful." Kenshin said quietly as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. " So innocent. So clean. So untainted. I could only stain your purity. You make me so happy. Awakening each day to your voice brings me a joy no other could conceive. Just know Kaoru-dono, I shall always care for you. Never…forget me..."_

_"I…I…love you Kenshin." I wept, but it was uttered to deaf ears, for I was grasping Kenshin's lifeless hand and holding it to my heart. _


End file.
